


Possible

by ironyruinedmylife



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry Caitlin and Cisco are good friends, Eating Disorders, Gen, Harrison Wells is a bad bad man, Hartley is not okay, as is Harts dad, ends well though, this doesnt start happily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 08:55:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6417064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironyruinedmylife/pseuds/ironyruinedmylife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not easy to get back on your feet, but it is possible. </p><p>Or in which Team Flash only realise how damaged Hartley is when he makes an offhand remark. Set a few months after Future!Barry leaves the past, post Harrison Being The Man In Yellow Reveal</p>
            </blockquote>





	Possible

“Hey Hartley, we’re gonna head out for lunch, wanna come?” Barry called. Hartley barely looked up from his computer as he replied  
  
“I’m good,” But Barry turned to see Cisco shaking his head, frowning. He tilted his head at his best friend and decided he Knew That Look, and it meant that something Wasn’t Right™. Cisco walked back into his and Hartley’s now shared lab and paused as he watched his new friend work  
  
“You haven’t eaten anything all day,” He commented. Barry blinked, frowning at Hartley’s now tense shoulders  
  
“’Said I’m good, Cisco. Leave it,” He replied, voice doing that One Weird Thing which meant that Hartley was Not Okay™. Clearly Cisco knew this too, as his jaw did the clenching thing and soon he was standing closer to Hartley, who still had not turned around  
  
“Hartley you’re coming with us.” He stated. Hartley flinched   
  
“Cisco, really, I’m fine. I’m not hungry. Not like I’m gonna waste away, is it?” He laughed. Cisco blinked  
  
“ _What?”_  
  
“Well I’m not exactly _small_ , Cisquito.” He stated jokingly. Cisco glanced back to see Barry mirroring his worried expression, what exactly did Hartley mean by that?  
  
“Dude you’re tiny.” Barry offered. Hartley laughed then, as if it were all a big joke, “You’re five five and weigh less…less than Caitlin.”   
  
Barry blinked at his new friend, eyes wide and shoulders tense. Cisco closed his eyes at the dawning realisation “When did you last eat something, Hartley?” Barry asked cautiously. Hartley flushed, turning around now, shrugging self-consciously   
  
“I don’t know, uh…maybe yesterday morning, I guess? I lose track of time.” He replied in a small voice. Cisco swallowed.   
  
“Bear, run and get some take out, will you?”   
  
“Yeah, sure.” Barry sped off, wondering if Hartley wore so many layers not because he was cold but for a different reason entirely. He returned to see Cisco with his eyes closed, arguing with Hartley in a soft voice as Caitlin stood to the side, somehow managing to look stern and concerned at the same time. Soon it became clear that they were arguing over Cisco wanting Hartley to get a medical check, which would require his shirt coming off. Hartley did not seem exactly enthralled with the idea.   
  
“Please,” Cisco tried. Hartley crossed his arms, eyes narrow behind his glasses  
  
“ _No_ , Cisco. I don’t see the need-” Barry took a deep breath, set the takeout down on the counter and stepped in  
  
“ _I_ do. And if you don’t, I’ll use my speed.” He stated calmly, sounding a lot more determined than he felt, shame rising within his chest at the thought of the betrayal Hartley’s face showed. Shortly, the scientist nodded, closed his eyes and took of his sweater, blushing under the scrutiny as he removed his shirt.   
  
All was silent  
  
“Oh, _Hartley_.” Caitlin murmured. Cisco swallowed and Barry grit his teeth. Hartley was _far_ too thin, the prominent hipbones and ribs which Barry could count easily if he wanted to gave Hartley a gaunt look which he had hidden under carefully constructed cruelty designed to prevent people finding out and layers of thick clothing.   
  
_“Why?”_ Cisco asked. Hartley peeked up from his shoes  
  
“Its not even-”  
  
“ _Yes_ , it _is_ , why, Hartley?” Caitlin repeated. Hartley clenched his jaw  
  
“I didn’t eat that much anyway, I lose track of time and I don’t really register I’m hungry often. A-And Harrison kept mentioning my clothes’ sizing, and my dad had always liked to use that to- to make me look bad, I don’t know. So I, I made myself forget that I was hungry.” He murmured. Caitlin swallowed  
  
“I’m going to _kill_ him.” Barry stated. Hartley bit his lip  
  
“Barry-”  
  
“ _I’m gonna kill him_ , what the _fuck_ kind of person _does_ that? Hartley you’re tiny, you’re thin, you’re not _anything_ they said you are.” He growled “I am going to hunt them both down and kill them.”   
  
Cisco nodded “Damn straight.”  
  
“But _first_ ,” Caitlin cut in loudly “We are going to eat lunch, Barry and Cisco are going to calm down, and Hartley we’re going to help, okay? This isn’t healthy, and we understand, but we’re also not going to let you starve yourself.”  
  
“But I-” Caitlin narrowed her eyes and Hartley’s jaw snapped shut  
  
“It’s not going to be easy, but we can help, okay?” She reiterated. Hartley nodded  
  
“Okay.” He mumbled “Can I have my clothes back, now?” Caitlin wordlessly passed his sweater back.   
  
A week later Barry was bringing them all breakfast, Cisco got lunch and Caitlin always made sure Hartley had dinner, usually via threatening text followed by the boy's message of approval. Hartley over the course of the next few weeks began to feel okay about eating again, although sometimes he felt like if he even looked at food he would cry, his friends were always there with a steady hand on his back and murmured assurances.   
  
Six months later and Hartley looked far healthier, in the way he smiled and in the way he would readily ask to get lunch.  
  
A year later and Hartley could smile at his reflection again without feeling like he’d been punched and was proclaimed ‘Healthy skinny’ by Barry who had ruffled his hair and signed him up to Grindr.   
  
It’s not easy to get back on your feet, but it is possible.   
  
Hartley hadn’t been this happy in a long, long while.

If he tried, he'd be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Please review y'all. I need validation like air.


End file.
